ACCENTs first policy-driven synthesis report entitled Answers to the Urbino Questions is now available for download.

The report summarises the answers by the atmospheric chemistry and air pollution research community to questions posed by the policy makers regarding the robustness of the analysis leading to the European Commissions 2005 Thematic strategic on Air Pollution (download the report).

The report provides a short version of the answers. To access all the supporting material, including the references to the scientific literature, click here.

This report is ACCENTs first policy-driven synthesis written by scientists for and to some extent in collaboration with policy-makers, and so we prepared a short survey about the structure and contents of the report. The survey will help us to improve future similar processes and communications (all answers are anonymous).

ACCENT has opened a blog to allow you to participate in an open discussion on science – policy – public interaction.

What has ACCENT done about it?

Is there a broad understanding about what we could do more?

The blog presents an introduction and five discussion statements on – the way ACCENT performs its science – the way ACCENT interacts with other scientific disciplines and with non-scientists – ACCENTs interaction with policy – ACCENTs interaction with civil society – the communication of ACCENT science

The results of the discusison will form the basis for the special session on the issue at the 2nd ACCENT Symposium, 25 July, Urbino.

You are invited to participate in the blog! Go to http://alba.jrc.it/blog/accent/ and click on the icon Urbino Dialogue 07 (works best with Intenert Explorer and Firefox)

The ACCENTs Second Policy-Driven Synthesis, “Answers to the Gothenburg Questions”, edited by Jens Hjorth and Frank Raes, is now available online.

This report, written by scientists for the policy maker, is presented as answers by the atmospheric chemistry and air pollution research community to questions defined though a participatory process involving policy makers and scientists, in view of the revision of the Gothenburg Protocol.

Download the Report here.

Definition of the questions The process started at the meeting “Air pollution and its relationship to climate change and sustainable development ” organized by ASTA, NORDEN and ACCENT (Gothenburg, 12-14 March, 2007, http://asta.ivi.se/Workshops/). This meeting initially produced 19 questions. They were subsequently prioritized through the involvement of 9 policy makers and 14 scientists. The policy makers indicated what questions are most relevant in the light of the revision of the Gothenburg Protocol. The scientists indicated for which of those questions there was enough information to give an answer during the course of 2008. The 19 questions were reduced to 10 (see Appendix). A discussion within the ACCENT management committee and further editing resulted in their final form. The answers to these so called “Gothenburg questions” were prepared based on ACCENTs scientific synthesis and integration of the present state of atmospheric chemistry research. This synthesis and integration was performed during 2008 and 2009. For some questions, out of the scope of ACCENT, other experts were called to contribute. Finally, each answer was reviewed by one or more scientists.

Issues covered Significant two-way interactions between climate change and air pollution are illustrated. They call for an integrated climate change and air pollution policy. The data needed to develop such an integrated policy are reviewed. Synergies and trade-offs between greenhouse gas and air pollutant emission control measures are listed. In particular, the benefits of the EU Climate & Energy package for air pollution are quantified. There is a further focus on emission control measures for particulate matter from diesel engines, and on the emissions from marine and air transport. With discussions about the effects of tropospheric ozone on carbon uptake in the biosphere, and about the effect of air pollution by reactive nitrogen on biodiversity, significant interactions between air pollution and the biosphere are illustrated. Some of the data required to study these interactions are reviewed.

A number of research infrastructures (research aircraft, laboratory facilities, advanced analytical instrumentation and/or monitoring stations) are currently operational in Europe for atmospheric studies. New methodologies for the investigation of atmospheric mechanisms, generation of original and high quality data for modelling purposes have emphasised the need for advanced facilities over Europe. Except for a few co-ordinated international projects or already established European large-scale facilities, there is a clear lack of a co-ordination programme that would permit and simplify the access of all scientists to any research facilities within an extended European research area. For that purpose, a co-ordinated effort to establish a large-scale synergy allowing access to research infrastructures, diffusion of information and use of generated databases from a certain number of facilities would be extremely beneficial.

Announcement of EDGAR v4.0 release: new version with greenhouse gas emissions 1970-2005

We are pleased to inform you that the EDGAR v4.0 greenhouse gas emissions dataset is now available for download at the new EDGAR website hosted by JRC. EDGAR v4.0 provides insight in annual emissions of greenhouse gas emissions by country, world region, sectors, and on spatial grid in the period 1970-2005.

The following data are available for download (after registration) 1. Country emissions: http://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/datasets_list.php – Time series (1970-2005) with total annual emissions by world region and country – Annual emissions by country and standard sectors (using the IPCC source category definitions)

EDGAR v4.0 forthcoming data Other datasets are in preparation for the non-Kyoto greenhouse gases, Ozone Depleting substances, Ozone precursor gases, Primary particulates (PM10, PM2.5) and Primary Aerosols (BC, OC). You will be informed in due time by e-mail or by checking the new EDGAR website http://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/overview.php

Announcement of EDGAR users meeting: On Tuesday and Wednesday 24-25 November 2009, an EDGAR users meeting will be organized at the JRC in Ispra, Italy. The aim of these 2 days is to exchange information between users and the EDGAR team. EDGAR users will be given the opportunity to present modeling and policy studies using EDGAR data, followed by presentations on the development of EDGAR v4.0 and discussion on issues, improvements, collaborations etc. More information will follow in the coming months.

Feedback from users: welcome! We encourage users of the new EDGAR v4.0 data to provide feedback on the quality of the dataset.

About the EDGAR project The current development of EDGAR is a joint project of the European Commission JRC Joint Research Centre and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL: http://www.pbl.nl/en/index.html)

For more information about the project please visit the new website http://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ , containing information about methodology (incl. differences with earlier datasets), project members, download of country and grid data. Older EDGAR datasets are available from http://www.pbl.nl/edgar/ , in due time these datasets will be archived on the new website.

The GEIA/ACCENT Conference on emissions will take place in Olso (Norway) on October 26-28, 2009. Information on the preliminary program, abstract submission, financial support and registration are available on the GEIA wesite: http://geiacenter.org.

The deadline for abstracts submission is July, 1st 2009

The deadline for application for financial support is July, 1st 2009

The goal of the conference is to review progress in quantifying emissions of gases and aerosols and their uncertainties: presentations will focus on recent improvements in understanding emissions and using them in chemistry-transport, climate-chemistry and earth-system models. Past and future anthropogenic emissions, biomass burning and natural emissions will be considered, at both regional and global scales. The use of observations in the determination and evaluation of emissions and their trends will be reviewed. It is expected that the discussions, encouraged throughout the conference, will help improve the interface between emission datasets and atmospheric models. Emerging issues in the determination of emissions and their uncertainties will also be addressed.

The major objectives of the Pilot were (i) to plan on an event to be jointly organised between air quality and climate scientists, and impact specialists, and (ii) to develop web-based training material on the issue for the “ACCENT Virtual Knowlede Train”. An outreach activity (Café Scientifique) for the media, and an excursion to the Jungfraujoch research laboratory (3,580 m asl) complemented the programme.

Both ACCENT and ENSEMBLES scientists (from Europe / the USA) participated in the activity (download programme). Master students from Switzerland (University of Berne / ETH Zürich) assisted in the testing of the training material and provided valuable feed-back.

The event was organised by the University of Berne, Switzerland (Evi Schuepbach, ACCENT T&E Coordinator), and was linked to the Graduate School of Climate Sciences at Berne University (Master of Science in Climate Sciences Programme, Course No. S7453: Atmospheric Chemistry-Climate Links).

ACCENT T&E wishes to acknowledge the support offered from both Jungfraubahn AG, Interlaken, Switzerland and the International Foundation High Altitude Observatories Jungfraujoch and Gornergrat, at the University of Berne, Switzerland. We especially would like to thank Prof. Erwin Flückiger, Mrs Louise Wilson (both at Berne University), and Mr Felix and Mrs Susanne Seiler (at Jungfraujoch). We also appreciate the kindness of Mr Willi Seiler and Mr Wyss from Jungfraubahn AG, and of Mr Zumbrunn and Mrs Kaufmann (Gletscherrestaurant Jungfraujoch).

“Mentoring is to support and encourage people to manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be.” Eric Parsloe, The Oxford School of Coaching & Mentoring

The ACCENT Mentoring Programme is carried out jointly with the EU project ENSEMBLES, other EU projects will join. The first Mentor-Mentee pairs have successfully carried out or completed a mentoring process.

ACCENT T&E encourages you to become involved in this exciting opportunity as a Mentor or Mentee. Letters of intent (download here) should be sent to the ACCENT T&E Coordinator (Dr Evi Schuepbach; cabo@giub.unibe.ch).

ACCENT T&E recommends that Mentor-Mentee pairs discuss and agree on the goals to be achieved and sign a small contract (download here). The issue that the Mentee wishes to tackle with the Mentor is confidential. The mentoring period can run for a year or less. Mentoring can be carried out by email (if both parties agree), internet phone, or with face-to-face meetings. The mentoring period can run for a year or less; contacts are recommended to take place on a monthly basis.

The ACCENT Mentoring Programme is administered by the Task “Training & Education” and supported by the Gender Awareness Group.

Interactive Learning Tools in Chinese The Chinese translations of the e-learning environment on global change mark the beginning of a new post-ACCENT era on global learning in air quality and climate change science with activities starting in 2010.

Awareness Seminar in Bangalore, India Both, general science education issues and local/regional needs were addressed. The overview presentation by E. Schuepbach on teaching material developed in ACCENT “Training and Education” was well received. The Seminar ended with a media conference, and a newspaper article was released the following day, stressing the importance of environmental awareness and the importance of education.

Download the newspaper article here.

Download the presentation given by E. Schuepbach here.

Download the Seminar report here here.

ACCENT Training Workshop in Guangzhou, China

An ACCENT T&E Workshop was held at Sun Yat-Sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou, China, from 22-27 July 2009. The Workshop was integrated in a Summer School on Biodiversity organized by Prof. Shixiao YU, School of Life Sciences, Dept. of Ecology, funded by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The ACCENT Workshop on “Changing Paradigms in Atmospheric Chemistry” focused on primary and secondary pollutants with respect to health and policy issues. It offered lectures and group work in both science and transferable skills including team building and leadership, interdisciplinary disagreement, media analysis, and science communication to non-scientists. About 150 postgraduate students from 40 Universities in China participated in the ACCENT Workshop that carried the sub-title “Learning about the Past for Leaders of the Future”. Lectures were given and group work was chaired by 6 European ACCENT scientists. About 10 policy makers from China were invited to a V.I.P. event on “Science to Policy” in the late afternoon-evening of 25 July 2009 in Dongguan city to exchange with early-career scientists who were selected among the 150 participating students on the basis of their leadership potential, innovation and creativity. Click here to download full programme, workshop report and lectures .

ACCENT Training Workshop in Kaohsiung, Taiwan The Training Workshop on “Changing Paradigms in Atmospheric and Marine Chemistry”, held from 7-11 August 2009 in southern Taiwan, at the National Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung, was affected by Typhoon Morakot, which devastated southern Taiwan in the region of Kaohsiung over the weekend of the ACCENT event. Fortunately, Peter Brimblecombe (University of East Anglia, Norwich, U.K.) had moved the Friday presentations forward to Thursday, 6 August, and Eva Schuepbach (University of Berne, Switzerland) managed to get to Kaohsiung from Hong Kong late on Sunday, 9 August, despite many cancelled flights.

Click here to download the Workshop programme, a summary on experiences and outcomes of the Workshop, and the lectures.

ACCENT FAR EAST – Simply Amazing Videos

Videos on the Summer School on Biodiversity and on the ACCENT Workshop in Guangzhou have been produced by students from Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China. Click here to view video on Welcome, Workshop and Farewell.

Pictures Click here to visit the Picture Gallery of the ACCENT FAR EAST Summer Programme 2009.

ACCENT is pleased to announce that the presentations of its Symposium “Air Pollution – Climate Interactions. Contribution to European Policy Development” hosted by the European Commission, Directorate General for Research, in Brussels, 3-4 November 2009, are now available.

Click on the speakers name to download the pdf file of the presentation.

This Symposium brought together leading scientists in the field from Europe and the rest of the world and counted on the participation of high level representatives from the European Commission, EU Member States and International organisations. During the Symposium, the work accomplished in this field within relevant projects supported by the European Commission RTD Framework Program has been presented and debated. The Symposium aimed at contributing to the dialogue between science and policy and to provide the scientific basis to the policy making process in the fields of air quality and climate change.

We would like to underline the importance of this debate in this particular moment, when on one side most of EU Member States face difficulties to meet the requirements of EU Air Quality Directives and on the other side, there is a very strong need to arrive to a successful worldwide strategy in the coming COP 15 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (December 2009). Therefore, particular attention has been given during the two days event to the interactions (synergies and trade-offs) between the two policy areas.

The final Symposium programme can be found here.

PRESENTATIONS

Opening Session Perspectives and Strategies in EU Member States Towards Copenhagen the Challenge of Limiting deltaT to ≤2ºC, Corrado Clini Air Pollution-Climate Iteractions: Perspectives and Strategies in EU Member States – the UK